Wind motor



July 19 1927;

T. ADAMS WIND MOTOR Fiied June s. 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet July- 19, 1927.

w O. T. ADAMS WIND MOTOR 7 5 Sheets-Sheet RR h July 19,1927. 1.636.449

O. T. ADAMS WIND MOTOR Filed June r, 1926 same-sum 5 Patented July 19, 1927'.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. by

OMER T. ADAMS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO ADAMS MULTIPLE AIR TURBINE CORPORATION, CALIFORNIA.

WIND Moron.

Application med June a,

the flow of air to the propeller or wind wheel,

especially for the purpose of affording protection against excessive power or speed when the wind 1s abnormal, such as during I a storm or tornado.

Another object is the provision of a governor of novel and improved construction for controlling the flow of air to the propeller or wind wheel.

A. still further object is the provision of novel means for mounting the vertical shaft of the propeller or wind wheel within the tower.

The invention also aims to improve the construction generally and in its details, to enhance the utility and efliciency thereof.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the constructlon and arrangement of parts, as

hereinafter described and claimed, it beingunderstood that changes can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein' Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved wind motor, portions being broken away. v

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, with portions underneath omitted.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail on the line of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation of one of the propeller or wind wheel units.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the hubs of said propeller or wind wheel.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevation of one of the governor units.

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig.7.

F i 9 .is a section on the line 9+4) of OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF 1926. Serial No. 113,511.

Fig. 10 is a vertical section, with portions shown in elevation, of the automatic" overnor operating mechanism.

Fig. 11 is a section on the line 1'l-11 of F ig. 10. i

Fig. 12 is a side elevationof the parts shown in Fig. 11. i

Fig. 13 is a vertical sectionshowing the step bearing of the propeller or wind wheel shaft and the power transmitting mechanism. A skeleton tower frame is provided, which is of square outline as shown, although the tower may bebuilt in various shapes, and comprises the corner posts or legs 20 of angle iron or other suitable material, whichhave their lower ends embedded and anchored within concrete sleepers 21 or other suitable base or foundation. The posts 20 are connected by horizontal cross pieces 23, 24k and 25, which have their ends secured to angle corner pieces 26 straddling and secured to terminals of the rods for tightening the rods. The tower frame is comparatively light in weight, butv is nevertheless strong in con- 'struction.

Guy wires 30 are connected to the upper end of the frame, and to the frame at a point lower down, and are connected by turn buckles 31 with anchors 32 embedded within sleepers 33 embedded in the ground, in order to prevent the tower from being" tilted or blown over by strong winds.

A vertical propeller shaft 34 carrying the propeller or wind wheel, as hereinafter described, is located centrally within the frame, and is of tubular construction as shown. Bearings for the shaft 3e are provided at points between the upper and lower ends of the frame, and one hearing, as seen in Fig. 2,- is disposed in the horizontal plane of the cross pieces 22, and a similar bearing is also the legs or posts 20. The posts 20 are inprovided in the horizontal plane of the cross pieces 23. Each bearing, as seen in Fig. 3, comprises a collar or ring 35 on the shaft an and having an external 36 surrounding the collar 35 and having an internal ball race, and balls 3? collar andring. The ring 36 is fitted within a cup 38, which may hold lubricant for lubricating the bearing, and said cup has a boss 39 at the bottom thereof with an opening through which the shaft 3 lextends. boss ises above the bottom of the cup retaining lubricant in the cup, and ant which overflowsthe boss 39 will in: cow-n the shaft (A through the open of the boss. The rim of the cup 38 has :anding apertured ears d0 through which are engaged the upturned inner terinc of stay rods l1, and nuts 42. are ended on said terminals of the rods to :ecuie them to the cars .20. The rods 41 extend toward the corners of the frame, as seen in Fi 2, and their outer terminals extend through oblique corner-braces 43 secured to the cross pieces 22, and nuts a l are threaded on said outer terminals of the rods 4-]. and seat against the braces 43 to tighten aid stay rods 41. By adjusting the nuts i l, the bearing and shaft may be adjusted in the horizontal plane of the bearing, to bring the shaft to a true plumb position. The stay rods l1 and braces 43 also assist in strengthening the tower frame. A cap 455 is disposed over the mouth of the cup 38 and has a central opening through which the shaft 3% extends, with an upturned lip 46 surrounding the opening to prevent water on the cap from running into the cup. A collar -17 is securedon the, shaft 34 above the cap 45, by means of a set screw 48, or the like, and has a lower recess receiving the lip at to exclude rain, snow and other foreign matter from the opening of the cap 45. The collar &7 may be loosened and raised, to permit the cap 45 to be raised, for pouring lubricant into the cup 38. A collar ettlis secured on the shaft 34:, by a set screw 50 or otherwise, below the cup 38, and has an upper recess 51 below the boss 39 to receivelubricant that flows downthe shaft S t from the cup 38, and the shaft 3% has an aperture 52 at the bottom of the recess 51 so that lubricant caught in the recess 51 will flow through the aperture 52 into the shaft and down the interior of the shaft.

The step bearing for the lower end of the shaft 34, as seen in Fig. 18, includes a pivot member 58 fitted on the lower terminal of the shaft and having a convex bottom surface 5 f disposed over a bearing member having upper annular ball races in which balls 56 are seated for rolling movement around the vertical axis of the shaft, the bottom of the pivot member 53 seating on the balls 56 thereby enabling the lower end ball race, a ring between said spokes having ofthe shaft to find its own center. The stop bearing is disposed within a casing 57 and the bearing member is seated on adjusting screws 58. A drain plug 59 scrmv-threaded in the bottom of the :asing 57 and may be removed for draining the luln-icant from said casing, the casing having a hand-hole (it) for access to the screws 58 and 59.

Thepower is transmitted from the shaft 341 by way of the pivot member 53, a bevel gear wheel. 62 being secured on the member 53 and meshing with a bevel pinion 63 secured on a horizonhil shaft til mounted in suitable bearings. The shaft 64: is connected by suitable gearing with a crank wheel (35 having the crank pin (36 with a'pitinan or connecting rod (57 connected thereto, for op erating a pump. An electric generator (38 is also geared to the shaft 64 in order that electrical current may be generated by the wind motor. The casing 57, electric generator 68 and bearing pedestals for the transmission gearing are mounted on a suit;

able base plate 69.

The propeller or wind wheel is mounted on the shaft 34 within the upper portion of the tower frame and includes a plurality of f tperposcd sections or units which are of duplicate construt ion, and any number of said sections or units may be used, Each propeller unit comprises upper and lower their inner terminals bolted or otherw sccurcdto the flanges or disks Tl. of hubs or clamps 72 embracing the shaft The hubs orclamps 72 and. flanges Tl are split, as seen in Fig. 6, so as to be readily clamped on the shaft. Vertical rods 73 are engaged through the outer terminals of the spokes 70, and outwardly extending bars Tat and 75 are engaged with the rods 78 at the upper and lower ends thereof, and converge together beyond the ends of the spokes TO. The adjacent ends of the pairs of bar T4 and '75 are engaged with vertn, l rods "in. The propeller blades Or but 17 are curved transversely, being bent from sheets of metal, and the vertical edge portions of the blades 77 are bent around the rods (3 and 76, as at 78. The

upper and lower end iiortions of the blades 77 are reenforced by bars "2'9 secured thereto and herb j their terminals also bent around the rod; i3 and 76, as at 80. The blades or cop with convened forward edges proheyoi'id the bars 74:, so as to catch the buckets have the end.; 81. which are of shape.

'tvely. The blades or buckets are in oblique positions, as seen in Fig. 4. bars 82 are connected at their forward to the termiiuils of the rods 73, and are cured at their rear terminals to the spokes 70 next in rear, and stay wires 83 connect the buckets or blades and hubs, to provide a thoroughly rigid structure.

llh

ill

As shown, there are three propeller units, in the three spaces provided between the horizontal planes of the cross pieces 23, 24 and 25, and a governor unit surrounds each propeller section or unit for controlling the flow of air currents to the propeller.

The governor units are of similar construction, and each governor unit includes an annular series or set of vertical air deflecting wings or vanes 84, constructed of suitable sheet metal. Said wings are hingedly mounted within the tower frame around the propeller, with their inner edges close to the blades or buckets'of the propeller, and said wings are adapted to be swung outwardly for directing the air effectively into the propeller buckets or blades. Inner and outer metal bars or straps 85 and 86, respectively, are riveted or otherwise secured to the wings 84 along the upper and lower ends thereof, for stiffening said wings. A vertical reenforcing rod 87 extends along the outer edge of each wing 84, and the outer edge portion of the wing is bent around said rod, as at 88, and theouter ends of the bars or straps 85 are also bent around the rods 87, as at 89, while the straps 86 terminate short of said rods. The inner edge portions of the wings 84 are offset inwardly to provide the shoulder portions 90 and offset portions 91, and when the wings are swung to closed position, as seen in Fig. 8, the offset portion of each wing receives the outer edge portion of the companion wing, with the outer edge por tions of the wings bearing against the offset portions 91. The inner terminals of the straps 86 extend along the portions 90 and 91, and the inner terminals of the straps 85 are secured to the portions 91, and said straps 85 have the oblique bracing portions'92 extending across the corners of the wings behind the portions 90. An le nieces 93 are secured within said corner portions of the wings between the bracing portions 92 and the wings. This provides a substantial construction, and the bends of the wings extending throughout the lengths'of the wings will, with the rods 87, reenforce and stiffen the wings. v

In order to mount the governor wings for swinging or turning movement about vertical axes, upper and lower pivot members 94' and 94 are provided, which have the studs 95 mounted for turning movement in the bearings 96 secured to the tower frame. The pivot members 94 and 94' have the angular flanges 97 projecting therefrom to receive between them the straps 86 and angle pieces 93, whereby each wing is fitted between and engaged with a pair of pivot members 94-94, to mount the wing for swinging movement about a verticalaxis. The plvot members and wings are readily assembled and separated, and provide a desirable structure.

The lower pivot members 94 have sprocket The governor wings are all turned simultaneously. Thus, an endless sprocket chain 101 is trained around the segments 98 of each governor unit or section, and around. a sprocket wheel 102 on a vertical governor shaft 103 journals-d within the tower frame at one corner thereof. An idler sprocket wheel 104 is provided for each sprocket chain 101, to hold the sprocket chain in engagement with the adjacent segment'98, as seen in Figf 4. Thus, when the governor shaft 103 is rotated, the sprocket segments 98 of the governor Wings are turned, in order that said' wings may be swung inwardly or outwardly.

The overnor shaft 103 may be rotated manually by means of a shaft 105 journaled in the frame at one side of the shaft 103 at the base or foundation of the structure, and having a hand wheel 106 at its upper end to be rotated by hand. pinion 107 meshing with a gear wheel 108 on the governor shaft 103, in order that the governor shaft may be conveniently turned by the manual rotation of said hand wheel. The automatic mechanism for controlling and operating the governor includes operative connections between the propeller shaft effectively turning the wings with The shaft 105 has a 34 and governor shaft 103 with clutches controlled by the velocity of the propeller shaft. Upper and lower sprocket wheels 109 and 110 are rotatable loosely on the shaft 34, and seat against collars 111 secured on said shaft. The sprocket wheels 109 and 110 have the flared annular flanges'112 and 113, respectively, providing clutch sockets in which clutch cones or members 114 and 115 are engageable, respectively. The clutch cones or members 114 and 115 are slidable on the shaft 34 and are rotatable with said shaft. As shown, sleeves 116 aresecured on the shaft and said cones are slidable on said sleeves, the sleeves and cones having registering lon gitudinal grooves in which balls 117 are dis posed to spline or feather the cones on the shaft. The balls 117 permit the cones to move upwardly and downwardly freely with speed of the shaft 34 is increased, and to sequently, when the wheel 122 is rotated by the closing of the clutchloetween the sprocket wheel 109 and shaft '34, the shaft 103 is turned. in. the direction to swing the governor wings Set to closed position, thereby shutting off the air cl'n'l'ent from the propeller, and the propeller will then slow down. During the turning movement of the shaft 103 to close the'governor, the member 133 being turned will be moved dowmvardly, as hereinbcfore described, thereby depressing the rod 130, to remove said rod from the wheel 1122 and b ring the rod into engagement with the wheel 123, so that when the propeller has almost come to a stop, and the clutch between the sprocket wheel 110 and shaft 34 is closed, the wheel 123 being rotated will thereby rotate the shaft 103 to open the governor more or less as above described. This automatic action of the governor may be repeated,andif after the first action the governor wings are opened too wide, the excessive speed of the propeller will again close the wings, and as the propeller slows down, the wings are again opened, but will not be opened as wide as during the previous operation. This action may be repeated until the governor may either be completely closed or opened just suflicicntly, even under a strong wind, as to permit the propeller to be driven at a normal speed. The automatic governor controlling and operating mechanism is not intended to control the speed of rotation of the propeller, but is designed more especially to afford protection against excessive speed of the propeller during a tornado, hurricane or the like.

The manual and automatic operating means for the governor shaft and the step bearing and power transmitting gearing for the propeller shaft are housed within a shed or house 144; within the lower portion of the tower frame,

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a wind motor, a propeller, a governor controlling the flow of air to the propeller, and automatic meanscontrolling the governor and operated by the propeller including provisions for releasing the governor from the propeller when the governor has been moved by the propeller.

2. In a wind motor, a propeller, a governor controlling the flow of air to the propeller, and an operative connection between the propeller and governor for operating the governor from the propeller and including a clutch controlled by the speed of the propeller and a second clutch controlled by the position of the governor.

3. In a wind motor, a propeller, a governor controlling the flow of air to the propeller, an operative connection between the propeller and governor for operating the when the governor from the propeller and including two clutches, means controlled by the speed of the propeller for controlling one'clutch,

peller, and operative connections between the propeller and governor for opening and clos ing the governor by power from the pro each operative connection lncludmg two clutches, onecontrolled by the speed of peller,

the propeller and the other the position of the governor.

6. In a wind motor, a propeller, a governor controlling the flow of air to the propeller, operative connections between, the propeller and governor for opening and closing the governor by power from the propeller, each operative connection including two clutches, means controlled by the speed of the propeller controlling one clutch of each operative connection for alternately controlled by closing said clutches when the speed of the propeller is increased and decreased to predetermined amounts, so that the governor is closed and opened, respectively, and means controlled by the position of the governor and controlling the other clutches for alternately opening them when the governor is cloged and opened, respectively, by the propel er.

7. In a wind motor, a propeller, a governor'for controlling the flow of air to the propeller, and means controlling the governor ope-rated bythe propeller and having provisions for releasing the governor from the propeller when the governor has been moved.

8. In a wind motor, a propeller, a governor controlling the fiow of air to the propeller,an operative connection between the propeller and governor for operating the governor by power from the propeller, means controlling said connection, and means for releasing the governor from the propeller governor has been moved by said propeller.

9. In a wind motor, a propeller, a rotary shaft operated thereby, a governor controlling the fiow of air to the propeller, a shaft controlling the governor and rotatable in opposite directions to open and close the governor, two wheels rotatable on the propeller operate-d shaft, two wheels rotatable on the governor control shaft and operably conand meanscontrolled by the position of the i nected to the firstnamed wheels to be rotated thereby in opposite directions, speed controlled clutch means for alternately conmeeting the first-named wheels to the propeller operated shaitt when the speed of the propeller is increased and decreased to predetermined amounts, and clutch means controlled by the rotation of the governor control shaft for alternately connecting the secondnanied wheels to the governor control shaft and arranged to disconnect the re spective eecondnamed wheel from the governor control shaft, when such wheel has been operated by the propeller operated shaft to open or close the governor, and to connect the other secondnamed wheel to the governor control shaft.

10. A wind motor comprising a Frame, a propeller mounted therein and a governor controlling the flow of air to the propeller and including wings hingedly mounted in the frame and having offset inner edge portions movable-with the wings and arranged adjacent to the hinges so that the outer edge portions of the companion wings are seatable in said ofiset portions when the wings are closed.

11. A wind. motor comprisii ig a frame, a propeller mounted in the frame, governor wings for cont-rolling the flow of air to the propeller, pivot members having portions fitted astride said wings, and hearings carried by the frame in which said pivot memhers are mounted to hingedly mount said wings in the frame.

12. A wind motor comprising a frame, a propeller mounted in the fran'ie, governor wings for controlling the flow of air to the propeller, each wing having an offset edge portion against which the opposite edge, of the companion is seatable when the wings are closed, pivot members having portions fitting astride the wings at the ends of said offset portions, and bearings carried by the frame in which the pivot members are mounted to hingedly support said wings.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

OMER '1. ADAMS. 

